


New Year, New me

by obviouslyelementary



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-03 10:23:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11530245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: In their new year in Hogwarts, the students of the current "eighth year" are placed in a separated building with pairing rooms. Unfortunately for both, Harry and Draco end up together in the last room of the building, neither wanting to be at Hogwarts, and neither very happy with this new beginning.





	1. Roomates

**Author's Note:**

> This was a silly prompt someone sent to my tumblr that made me write a full chaptered fanfic out of it. This has no storyline yet, but lets see how it goes. Any suggestions, critics, kudos and comments are welcome!
> 
> Enjoy!

Neither of them wanted to return to Hogwarts.

After the war, the battle, after being considered the Hero and the Villain for a whole bunch of people, neither wanted to put their feet into Hogwarts again.  
But McGonagall had invited them and at that point, she was just as important as Dumbledore once was. That being said, both accepted their letters, Harry in his new home in Godric’s Hollow, Draco in his old manner, Harry with his new family, Draco alone in his room.

Both stared at the window, watching the summer breeze shake the trees, wishing they could stay in and never leave again.

Each for their own reasons.

\--------

“Have a good year, you three” Molly Weasley said as Harry, Ron and Hermione boarded the train. “Don’t forget about studying! And good luck!”

“Alright mom” Ron groaned as he walked inside, shaking his head. “We go through a war and she still doesn’t change.”

“Of course not Ronald” Hermione said angrily, pulling both boys to a cabin. “You should be nicer to your mom after everything that happened”

“You should be nicer to me as well” he groaned right back and she bit her lip, getting inside the cabin and being followed by her boyfriend. Harry walked behind them, eyes glued on the ground as he heard several whispers about “the boy who lived twice”. He sighed, lifting his head to walk in the cabin, his eyes catching a blond blur in the end of the hallway, making him freeze for a second or two before he walked in, frowning.

“Harry?” Hermione asked as she saw his face, frowning with him. “Everything alright?”

“Looks like you have seen a ghost” Ron chuckled, and Harry shrugged, closing the cabin’s door and sitting down, tiredly. He then locked the door and closed the curtains, giving them privacy. “What is it now? Are you feeling anything?”

“No…” he mumbled, letting his head rest against the chair. “Why?”

“You always lock the door and close the curtains when something is wrong” Hermione answered, but this time Harry just smiled, shaking his head.

“No. Not now. Now I just want some… privacy” he said, opening his eyes and grinning to his best friends. “And you two better not snog while I’m here. At least wait for me to sleep”

“Harry!”

\-------

Finding a cabin to seat was harder than Draco could ever have imagined.

Not only the train had not grown out to accommodate the students better, there were now 8 classes of students, and worst than that, no one wanted to share seats with the boy   
that destroyed everything.

The Gryffindors obviously hated him. The Ravenclaws suspected his every move. The Huffle-Puffs tried to pretend but squirmed at any approach. The first years were scared of him. And the Slytherins…

Well…

So, he wondered from cabin to cabin, trying to find anyone that was empty. Many times he received stares or harsh words, sometimes even giggles of disdain. Not that he didn’t know it would have happened, but for hours he wished he had just went to Hogwarts through flu or something…

After almost an hour walking, when he was almost deciding to just go to the bathroom and stay in there for the whole trip, he found a small cabin with two people inside. He knocked on the door, as quietly as possible, and both turned around. At their faces, Draco turned away, biting his lip, but before he could walk away, the door opened and he frowned, looking back inside.

“Hello Draco” Luna said, with that aloof way of hers, smiling as she laid against Neville, who was staring at Draco as if he would cut his throat at any movement. “Do you want to sit with us?”

“If… It’s not a bother” he said, slowly, his voice so quiet and shy that even he didn’t recognize himself. Luna smiled a bit more and Neville nodded to the chair. With a soft sigh of both relief and pain, Draco walked in and sat down as far away from the other two as possible, holding his bag between his legs and keeping his hands were they could see them.

Keep your hands always visible.

'Don’t take your wand unless commanded.

Be complacent.

Take it Draco. This time you have to take it.'

Those were rules he could live by.

Slowly, he put his bag on the bench and laid down with his head over it, closing his eyes, turning to face the back of the seat. He knew Luna and Neville were watching, but at that moment, he was glad he wasn’t inside the bathroom. And a nap was always good. Specially these last days.

\--------

When they got to Hogwarts, the eighth year students were told to follow McGonagall to a separated room. Harry smiled as he walked through the train platform, waving to Hagrid, who quickly waved back before leading the first year to the boats. Harry made his way to the castle silently, looking around, remembering how destroyed it was just a few months prior. He could still hear the sounds of the walls falling and breaking, the explosions, the screams of terror and sadness.

“Draco?”

Draco frowned as he was pulled away from his daydream, blinking around as he tried to find the owner of the voice. Through the crowd, he saw Blaise and Pansy walking to him, waving. He bit his lip, trying to stare only at them and not at the rest of the people who looked up at his name.

“How are you doing?”

“All good Neville” Harry shrugged and smiled a bit, ignoring the stares at his direction from the entire crowd around them. “And how are you? Difficult vacation, I suppose?”

“Wasn’t it hard for everyone?” Pansy chuckled, rolling her eyes and pulling Draco for a tight hug. “I bet even more for you, after… You know…”

“It was hard for all of us” Harry mumbled, pulling away from the hug and smiling to Neville. “I’m still glad I saw all of you and that we are all back here”

“Draco, don’t lie…” Blaise frowned. “I doubt you wanted to be here in the first place. Why did you come?”

“… McGonagall called…” Harry sighed and shrugged quietly. 

“I guess my job here in Hogwarts isn’t quite done yet…”

\-------

“Students of the eighth year, it is a pleasure to have you all back to Hogwarts once more” McGonagall said, doing a separated, special speech to them. “After the incredibly messy year you had, we teachers decided to give you one more chance to study and learn everything you can from our school. Therefore, for your class only, we opened this exceptional year. Now, we made an entire new schedule for you, in a way that will leave you separated from the seventh year even if you are taking the same classes. Also, since we have a specific amount of rooms in your house dormitories, we made a new building with pairing rooms for you all. Which means that you will be sorted together in a way that no couples will remain together. Are we clear?” she asked, and all the students nodded, none of them making any objection. “Wonderful. Now I want you all to make a line. In these papers, there are written numbers and letters that relate to your dormitories. All of you have to do is choose one and direct yourself to said room. Now, I must do the introductory speech to the rest of the years. Good luck” she said and walked away, leaving them to slowly organize themselves.

The line was made quickly, and soon the students were getting their papers and heading to their dorms. Harry took his own, humming and walking away next to Hermione and Ron.

“19B” Hermione said, looking between Harry and Ron. “What about you two?”

“23C” Ron answered and then looked at Harry.

“44A” he said and hummed, looking around as they were taken to the extra building. “Who do you think will be your partners?”

“I hope it isn’t anyone from Slytherin. I had my fair share of those in the battle” Ron mumbled, and Hermione just glared at him before smiling.

“I hope it’s Parvati. But honestly I don’t mind anyone” she shrugged and stopped when they reached her room. “Until later boys”

“Bye” Harry mumbled and waved, soon waving to Ron as well as they passed his room. Harry was leaded all the way down the hall, having unfortunately gotten the last room. He sighed, walking inside slowly and looking down as a key appeared in his pocket the moment he walked in. He smiled, looking around. There were two beds, two study desks, two dressers, a closet, a mirror, a fireplace and a door that probably leaded to a separated bathroom. 

The walls were a neutral brown shade, and so was the floor. There were a few windows, curtains, the bed sheets were black. The place was empty, but cozy. It wasn’t so bad. 

He walked to the bed on his left and put his bag over it, humming as he started to take his clothes off, ready to make himself comfortable, maybe nap a little before the dinner. 

He was humming a soft tune when the door opened again, and he turned around, ready to greet his partner.

And then he froze.

Oh no.

Anyone but him.

Draco froze on the doorway as he saw no one else but Potter standing next to one of the beds, staring back at him with those wide, deer eyes. 

He sighed shakily and turned away, walking to the other bed as quickly as possible, throwing his bags over it and walking out of the room again, closing the door and letting out a loud sigh.

Not him.

Not him.

They were screwed.


	2. Dorm One on One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be uploading so constantly as I'm making you all believe, but every comment and kudo is important and makes me want more!  
> Thank you and have fun

“Potter?!”

“Wow mate... how lucky you have to be to be paired with your worst enemy?” Blaise asked, surprised, and Draco rolled his eyes, looking down at the food on his plate.

“He’s not my enemy Blaise... Not anymore” he said, trying to believe it himself, but only making the two even more outraged.

“He’s not your friend either Draco” Pansy said, angrily, and the blond boy sighed, playing with the peas on his plate, looking up for a second to the Gryffindor.

His gaze fell quickly, though, because Potter was staring back at him.

 

“Damn it Harry, can’t you at least be a little more subtle?” Hermione asked, eyes narrowed, and Ron huffed, staring at her. 

“Hermione. Harry is sharing rooms with Malfoy of all people. He has the right to be suspicious” he said, but she only rolled her eyes.

“He’s not suspicious. He’s obsessed, like in the sixth year” she said coldly and Harry stared back at her. “It’s true. And what did that lead on? Nothing, I tell you Harry. Nothing. You gained nothing from following Malfoy for a whole year”

“It’s different Hermione. That year something was wrong, and indeed it was” he said, firmly, and she sighed. “This year... I am just confused as to why he is here.”

“He can’t attend to his last year of school?”

“Not after all he did, Hermione” Ron said, looking between Harry and Hermione with his smart eyes. “Haven’t you seen how the rest of the school looks at him? Asides from Pansy and Blaise, no one talks to him. All the stares he receives are of disgust or fear. Even the Slytherins hate him, and now he has no one to protect him. With his father in jail, his mother locked into their manner, Dumbledore and Snape dead... He only has his shitty friends to help him out, and that won’t stop the hatred of hundreds of students”

“No one is going to pick a fight with Malfoy, Ron” Hermione said, quietly, and then pushed her plate to him. “Just... eat and be quiet okay? I don’t want to get into any problem because of you and your Weasley hatred for Malfoys”

With a frown and then a shrug, Ron kissed her cheek and grabbed her chicken, starting to eat it as she stared at Harry, who hadn’t taken his eyes from the Slytherin table.  
He just looked down when Malfoy looked up, the most awkward split of a second they ever shared.

\------

“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep over at my room?”

“I’m pretty sure McGonagall would know and get angry”

Blaise and Ron sighed, nodding at their counterparts and tapping them on the shoulder.

“Take care then. Goodnight”

Harry waited for Ron to close the door while Draco walked straight to the room. With any luck, he would get there before Potter and just fall asleep before he could actually have to talk to him about anything.

He walked in, walking to his dresser and grabbing some boxers and a towel before he headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. As he did so, Harry walked in, sighing in annoyance as he heard the shower on. With a groan, he laid down on his bed, turning on the lamp next to his bed and starting to read one of the random books he had brought from his house to the school. 

It took him two phrases and he was already done with the book.

There were just so many questions in his head.

‘Why is he here? What does he want? Shouldn’t he be arrested?’

Saying Harry wasn’t comfortable with sharing a room with Malfoy was an understatement.

And the contrary was just as true.

Draco walked out of the bathroom drying his hair with his white towel, looking around to find his brush. However, for a split second, his eyes landed on feet that weren’t his   
own, laying on a bed, making him turn around immediately, his bare back and thighs completely exposed to Potter and making him feel a bit more vulnerable than normal.  
He stood still with his back to Potter for as long as he could, body frozen in place until he heard the bathroom door closing. That was when he sighed and relaxed again, reaching for his wand and waving it, making his hair dry in a second. He put it down again and dried his towel the same way before putting it away and laying down, covering himself up to his neck and turning with his back to Potter’s bed.

He closed his eyes right away, in hope to fall asleep in a second, just trying his best to stay quiet and make himself small. He really didn’t want any trouble, not everything he had passed, that they had passed. 

‘“Do it Draco... Do it!”’

He groaned as he covered his head with the blankets as well, her voice still so clear in his mind. She was dead, of course, but she wasn’t the only one that hunted his nights and his days.

Oh no... there was something so much worst in his arm as a constant reminder of what he had done.

\-------

Harry walked out of the bathroom with a hum, dressed in his usual pyjamas, looking at Malfoy’s bed and checking if he was already asleep. He seemed so, so Harry relaxed, walking to his bed and drying his hair and towel with his wand before he laid down, grabbing his book and starting to read it again, silently.

For a while, he was able to read with no interruption or problem. After a while, however, he heard a groan coming from the other side of the room, making him turn his head, frowning lightly. 

“Malfoy?”

The room went silent again, and Harry frowned deeper, but after a few seconds watching the body in the other side, he turned his attention back to his book, humming to himself, pulling the covers and getting comfortable there. H read a few more pages, soon yawning and feeling his eyes starting to close more often than not. Deciding it was already late and he would have to wake up early, he put his book aside and turned the lamp off, turning away from the room and closing his eyes, just after putting his glasses away.

Draco relaxed considerably after Potter turned the lights off, closing his eyes and holding his pillow closer. He waited until he could hear some snoring sounds to actually try to sleep, taking a deep breath and trying to relax his muscles, with no avail. 

Their stares were still so clear in his mind, their words so loud in his ears.

Hogwarts wasn’t his home anymore. It was just another prison, like everywhere else he went.

He fell asleep before he could feel the tears in his eyes, hours after trying.

And the sun illuminated a new day.


	3. Back to school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this took a while, I was out of inspiration but now it's back!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated. Thank you!

When Harry woke up, Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. He checked his clock and hissed, cursing to himself at how late he was. He had missed the first class and woke up half into the second.

He hadn’t slept so well in ages, though.

He stood up and pulled on his uniform, smiling at himself at how familiar that looked. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, grabbed his books and wand and left, heading to his first class, Advanced Potions.

He looked around at the walls, the ghosts and paintings, deciding to make Dumbledore and Snape a visit after he was done with his class.

He had to say, now that so many people were gone, going to classes seemed... strange. Last time he had seen Snape in those halls, he was finally their defence against the dark arts professor. Well, that before being director, of course.

It just felt strange to know that a man he hated for so long was... well... good. Good and currently, gone.

“Harry?”

He looked over and smiled, walking to Ron and Hermione, who waited for him in the classes’ door.

“Ron? Decided to take potions this time?” he asked, curiously, and he chuckled, looking at Hermione.

“She just decided I should since I want to become an Auror” he said and Hermione grinned, kissing his cheek and nodding at Harry.

“Knowledge is very important” she said and Harry chuckled.

“Of course it is” he said and rolled his eyes, sharing a stare with Ron and walking inside, waving to professor Slughorn before he sat down and both Ron and Hermione sat next to him. 

Through the corner of his eye, he could see a blond head that clearly wouldn’t fool anyone, even if he was in the last table by the corner of the classroom.

“Also, Harry, why didn’t you come to the first classes?” Ron whispered, and Hermione looked at him curiously as well. “Did Malfoy stop you from sleeping?”

“Not at all. We didn’t even speak” he said and looked back at the Slytherin before looking back at his friends. “I slept way too well actually. I slept in”

“Oh... Weird” Ron mumbled and Hermione rolled her eyes before smiling at Harry.

“I’m glad you slept better. Maybe the nightmares are getting better” she said and he nodded, smiling back before looking at Slughorn as he walked in front of them to start the class.

\--------

Nothing special happened in the class. Weirdly enough, Draco was able to go through potions with no stare or commentary made by any student or Slughorn himself. Since he had nothing to worry about, he took his potions very seriously, making it slower than everyone, paying close attention to the details, the classes Severus had given him actually helping him.

He froze as he thought about his godfather, biting his bottom lip as memories came, memories of that dreadful sixth year, how much he helped, what he died for... Draco closed his eyes for a second, deciding he was becoming way too emotional and that it would clearly have some bad results if he continued like that around people that didn’t like him.

‘Emotions are weakness, Draco. People can use them against you. Do not become emotional, do never show your fears to your enemies. And remember, the world is our enemy Draco. There are few people you can truly trust’

Great, now he was listening to his father too.

He opened his eyes and rubbed his eyes quickly, his breath hitching just slightly as he got back on track. He added the last ingredients in the caldron and twirled slowly, blinking when the potion became golden brown, like mentioned in the book. He sighed in relief and looked up, also glad to see that no one was staring at him. He sat down on his chair and poured the potion in a small bottle, like Slughorn had asked them to do, and waited for the end of the class, where he walked around checking their potions and getting the bottles, just to make sure no one had stolen their friend’s potion.

“Well well, Malfoy, lets see” he said as he approached his table, twirling the potion and taking the bottle. “Very good. I believe your potion is the only one that can compete with miss Granger’s” he said and Draco held back a chuckle.

“Thank you professor” he whispered and Slughorn looked at him, his smile ever present, but his eyes not quite following. Gathering his materials as slowly as possible, he waited for everyone to leave the classroom before he did so, something inside him guiding him away from the main hall. He looked back around and followed the way he knew he wanted to go, biting his bottom lip as he took the most known passages of the school, not wanting to meet with anyone inconvenient. 

As he turned to a hallway, he bumped into someone, both walking so fast that they bounced against each other and fell to the ground, their books flying around them. With a groan, Draco sat up and looked over, groaning internally at who he saw.

“Potter” 

\--------

“Malfoy” Harry groaned as he saw the Slytherin in front of him. Silently he gathered his books and Malfoy did the same, both standing up and looking at each other. “Where are you going, taking this hallways?”

“It’s none of your business Potter” he said angrily, moving to walk past him, but Harry put his arm in front of him, making Malfoy roll his eyes. “What is it?”

“Whatever you do Malfoy is my business now” he said coldly, moving to stand in front of Malfoy. He rolled his eyes again and narrowed them as he stared at Harry.

“And w-... I mean... Just... Ugh Potter let me through, I’m not planning anything if that’s what you’re wondering” he said, frustrated, and Harry raised his eyebrow. 

“If you were, that would be exactly what you would say” he said, and Malfoy narrowed his eyes. 

“If I was planning something, I would have taken my wand out and sent you flying off this damned hallway, but I haven’t, so could you please let me through?” he asked, giving a step to the side and being followed by Harry. “For Merlin, Potter, let me through! How old are you? Five?!”

“Tell me where you are going”

“Screw you Potter” he growled and pushed him away, walking through and making Harry narrow his eyes, grabbing him by the wrist and pushing him against the wall, holding his wand against his neck and making Malfoy freeze, head up as he breathed hard.

“Tell me” he said angrily, and Malfoy held his books tighter, breathing shakily while closing his eyes.

“Just kill me already. I know you want it, Potter, and honestly anything you make up will be enough to get you rid of any sentence, ‘chosen one’” he growled, his voice shaking as well as his body. Harry frowned, digging his wand against his throat.

“Unlike some people I know, I don’t kill” he said angrily, and Malfoy growled, opening his eyes and looking down at him.

“I never killed anyone, Potter” he growled, and Harry looked at him a bit surprised, but not letting that through his expression. Were those tears in Malfoy’s eyes? “So if you’re condemning me for something, at least get your crimes right”

“Just tell me where you’re going, Malfoy” he growled, trying not to show his confusion. “Make this easy for us”

“I will never make anything easy for you” he whispered, smirking in that Malfoy way of his, but his eyes showed no satisfaction. “Just finish this. Make it easy for us”  
Harry blinked slowly at that, before he groaned and pulled himself away, making Malfoy rub his neck.

“If I see you wondering around again, Malfoy, I will not hesitate” he said, even though he knew that was a great lie. Malfoy hummed, looking at him, his smirk not leaving his face just yet.

“I seriously hope you don’t” he said, before he walked away into the hallway, making Harry frown and watch him quietly.

The hallway lead only to the director’s room.

Weird.


	4. Director talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
> Enjoy!

Draco growled as he was finally left alone. He walked through the hallway, not even turning around to check if Potter was following him or not. Knowing him, he probably was, but Draco honestly didn’t care, not at that moment. 

He walked down the hallway, stopping when he saw McGonagall walking out of her room. He stepped forward, making her gasp and put her hand over her chest. 

“Oh my... Mister Malfoy, please don’t scared me like that” she said and looked at him up and down. “How can I help you?”

“I... I was wondering if I could go inside your room, director...” he said softly, holding his books against his chest. “I would very much like to talk to the paintings... for a few minutes only”

“Well... normally I wouldn’t allow it, but I will make an exception today, Mister Malfoy” she said and turned around, waving her hand and making the gargoyle turn to reveal the stairs. “Feel free to stay as long as you like, as long as you don’t miss any classes, understood?”

“Yes, director” he said and smiled a bit. “Thank you” he whispered and walked to the stairs, getting in a step and waiting as it took him up. Slowly, he walked up the rest of the steps and reached the door, opening it slowly and looking around as the paintings turned to face him.

All previous directors were there, staring at him.

Awkwardly, he walked towards Severus’ painting, looking up and chuckling at his expressionless face.

“You never change, hun?” he whispered, putting his books and bag down while Severus snorted quietly while looking at him. 

“Neither did you, Draco” Dumbledore said from his painting, making the Slytherin look back, guilt filling him up.

“Oh... hello” he whispered, and Dumbledore smiled at him, fondly.

“Don’t be afraid of me, Draco” he said, his voice as warm as always. “You do know I hold no grudge against you”

“I believe you should” he muttered and looked back at Severus as he chuckled.

“Enough of feeling sorry for yourself, Draco” he said firmly, as coldly as ever. “You know you are better than what you think and what others think”

“I don’t... feel that much better” he said, looking down and rubbing his arm. “Severus, I just... I don’t feel comfortable here anymore”

“Hogwarts is supposed to be a home” Dumbledore said, and Draco looked over at him. “If it doesn’t feel like home, it isn’t fulfilling its duty, and the fault is not yours”

“Hogwarts is a past battlefield. None of it feels like home to anyone anymore” he said, and Dumbledore tilted his head, making Draco sigh. “We watched our friends, colleagues, enemies die around these hallways. Blood of innocents and criminals run through the sours, slide down the dirt outside. It doesn’t feel like home” he said, sighing and sitting on the steps, rubbing his eyes. “Nothing feels like home... nowhere feels like home”

“Sometimes, home is closer than you believe, if you let yourself feel it” Dumbledore said, and Draco looked up confused, frowning at him just as he heard something falling behind him. He jumped up, grabbing his wand, before he growled, putting it back into his coat as he saw Potter pointing his wand to him from behind the director’s desk.

“Seriously Potter? You love me so much that you can’t leave me to have a moment of peace?” he asked, pretending not to be nervous about if Potter had heard what he had just said or not. He sat down on the steps again and sighed. “Just kill me already or get out of here”

“What if I don’t do either?” he asked, and Draco rolled his eyes, not looking back at him. 

“Then you can sit next to me and we can have a picnic, what do you think?” he asked, sarcastically, already too tired to want to have a civil conversation. “Honestly Potter, get out or put me out. 

After a long moment of silence, he heard a sigh, and held back of rolling his eyes only to look behind him and jump in surprise as he saw Potter sitting next to him.

“I want to talk to them too, you know?” he asked, raising his eyebrow and looking at Draco, who frowned.

“I got here first. Therefore you can leave and let me finish my talking and then come inside again” he said, and Potter chuckled. “What is so funny?”

“Actually I was actually considering leaving but I don’t know the password to the stairs” he said, pointing outside, and Draco followed his finger, only that moment realising that he, in fact, did not know the password to get out of McGonagall’s room.

“Oh wonderful” Draco groaned and looked at the windows. “Well, we can always accio our brooms and get out of here” he said, standing up and walking to it, being followed by Potter, both looking outside at how high they were. “Go ahead Potter. I’m waiting”

“You have already talked to them. I’m waiting for you to leave”

“I am not leaving yet, Potter. Get out of here”

“I’m not getting out, Malfoy”

“Neither am I, Potter”

“Then I believe we are stuck in here together” Potter concluded, and Draco swore he could hit his head as a prize for how smart he was.

“Wonderful conclusion, Potter. You deserve to just finish your school year right now, in your first day. You are just so intelligent” he said, bitterly, turning away from the window and walking back to the stairs. He gathered his books and bag and pulled them closer, before hugging his legs against his chest and playing with his sleeves, sliding his fingers over his arm, feeling the mark under it, a constant reminder of his mistakes.

After a while, he listened to steps coming closer, and looked up to see Potter approaching before he sat down next to him, but farther apart, each one next to a wall.

“Malfoy... I wanted to question you about something” he said, slowly, and Draco rolled his eyes.

“Seriously Potter? We are just going to sit down and have a small talk? Don’t you have anything better to do? Like be with Granger or Weasley or just be put in a throne of gold in the Gryffindor dormitory?” he asked, angrily, looking over at Potter but just making him chuckle.

“No, thank you. I am trying to escape the crowds” he said and Draco growled.

“Escape the crowds? Oh, I’m sorry, mister humble, you are too much of a good guy to want the spotlight over you, even though all they will do is hold you in their arms and scream the name of the stupid ass coward that accidently saved everyone because he guessed what he should do instead of just listening to everyone and getting the fuck out of the castle when he had the chance, dying to protect those that cared” he growled and looked back down. “I know how full of shit you are, Potter. You can fool an entire school, an entire country, the entire Europe, the entire world, but you can’t fool me. You were afraid of dying and you didn’t go before because you had hopes you could see everyone dying for you while you figured out a way of finishing Voldemort without losing a single hair from your head. And they still call you hero” he groaned and looked away. The silence was comforting, even if it was thick and tense. At least he hadn’t lost his ability of making people shut up.

“Well, that is your fault” he said, and Draco’s eyes widened, filled with rage as he turned to face Potter again. 

“What?! My fault?!” he growled, standing up. “How any of that is my fault?! I wasn’t even in Hogwarts when all of that happened, I just found you after everything had started in the Room of Requirement! How possibly am I guilty of your coward spirit?!”

“You let me live” he said, and Draco frowned deeply. Potter chuckled and looked up. “That was what I was going to ask you. Why did you let me live when we were taken to your house?”

“What... what are you talking about Potter?” he asked, nervousness settling on his stomach as he remembered that day. The Gryffindor chuckled, again, looking up at him, brushing his hair back.

“Why did you let me live? You could have told your father, finished everything there and then. Because you knew it was me. I saw it in your eyes. You hesitated, and not because you didn’t recognize me, or Ron or Hermione. You knew us. You knew me. And you bought us time. Why?”

“Why?” he chuckled, his blood boiling now. “Why? You very damn well why, and I can’t believe you’ve been so blind to it even though you, Snape and Dumbledore were the only ones that knew” he growled, and Potter blinked slowly. “What? You don’t know? You don’t remember? You never connected the dots? God damn it, Potter, I thought you were a little better than that”

“I have... no idea of what you are talking about” he said, quietly, and Draco swore he saw red points in his vision. 

“God damn it, you really are stupid. You’re lucky for having friends around you that actually know something or else you would have been dead in your first year of school” he said angrily and grabbed his things, heading to the window and taking out his wand.

“Sectumsempra...” Potter mumbled, and Draco froze, his eyes widening as he expected it to come to him. When it didn’t, he turned around, seeing Potter staring at him, eyes wide. “You were crying that night... so Dumbledore was right... you never wanted this after all...”

“You seriously deserve a prize” he said, sighing in relief as he leaned against the wall, his heart at a million beats per second at the thought of almost dying of blood loss on the floor again. “Of course I never wanted it. My parents didn’t want it. But we were bond to it and we couldn’t exactly escape, could we?” he asked, and looked down at his feet. “And we didn’t escape. Nor for bad or for good”

“Well... you are free” Potter said, and Draco laughed dryly before looking at him.

“Free?! I’m not free, Potter. Just because I’m not at Askaban, nor at my house, it doesn’t mean I am free. I am not allowed to leave the campus without being to go back to the manner, where my mother is locked in, surrounded by aurors that don’t allow her to get out for anything. I don’t see my father since the end of the war. Everywhere I look, people wonder why we are still alive, why we weren’t killed, why I’m not arrested. And do you know what I did in this entire tale? I disarmed Dumbledore. Nothing more. I brought people to Hogwarts guided by Voldemort, I disarmed Dumbledore, I wasn’t even able to take my wand from you” he chuckled, looking up at the ceiling. “Pathetic as I have always been, I left my friend to die in the fire he provoked while trying to do what I wasn’t able to. Afraid of being locked behind Voldemort forever, I didn’t tell anyone I knew it was you back in the manner. Terrified of being killed I disarmed a man, only to not be able to kill him as promised... Do you think I’m only ridiculous at school, not bowing to that chicken thing? Oh Potter, you’re in for a treat”

Both stayed silent for a long time, Draco’s heart beating quick and hard inside his chest as he looked up, eyes filled up with tears that he did not let out, because vent out to Potter was already stupid, so crying in front of him would be his death sentence.

Then, the boy who lived spoke up.

“Well, to be honest, Ron and Hermione did everything in my journey” he said, and Draco frowned deeply. “Dumbledore showed me the hints, and Hermione and Ron were the ones able to decipher them. I did nothing aside from almost die around three hundred times” he chuckled. “I was with Snape when you were in the tower to kill Dumbledore and I believed him. And indeed I was selfish when I didn’t surrender myself to Voldemort the first time he said so. It is complicated, to be a hero when you are in a war. And I am nothing close. The reason why I don’t enjoy people surrounding me, talking about it. I know I could have saved so many people but I didn’t out of fear. And I bet I hurt many people in the battle, asides from killing Voldemort. Basically, what I’m saying is that you don’t really have to feel guilty for what you did or didn’t do. You aren’t free now, but if you continue the way you are, soon you will be”

Draco frowned deeper and looked down, seeing Potter still sitting on the stairs, smiling at him, making him angry at how good he was, but also a bit relieved, for some reason.

“A truly beautiful conversation boys, but lunchtime is over and you have classes to attend” he heard, and turned to see McGonagall walking inside the room, waving them both off. “Off you go” 

Draco blushed deeply at the thought of her listening to everything and walked out, noticing that Potter was as red as him.

A quick glance behind him revealed a smiling Dumbledore and a disgusted Snape.


End file.
